


between lost and found

by khrysallis



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Anime/Manga Fusion, Character Death, M/M, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-16 18:06:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12347841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khrysallis/pseuds/khrysallis
Summary: “If we ever cross paths again, make no mistake that it’ll be the very last time you will draw a single breath.” (Black Cat!au)





	between lost and found

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2013 round of [SNCJ Big Bang](http://sncj-bigbang.livejournal.com/). Transferring stuff from my Dreamwidth account.
> 
> This is based on the manga/anime _Black Cat_ by Yabuki Kentaro.

The sound of laboured breathing and uncoordinated footsteps bounced off the brick walls as a man ran down the too-narrow corridor. His mind was in a frantic state as he tried to outrun the dark figure that was chasing him down, and he threw numerous glances over his shoulder to make sure the distance between them was adequate enough for him to make his escape. He felt the temporary relief bubbling within him when the dark figure was nowhere to be seen, though he refused to let the complacency get to his head.   
  
  
His moment of relief was incredibly short-lived.   
  
  
“Gotcha, little mouse.”   
  
  
The voice was soft, almost like a whisper, and the man found his muscles suddenly paralysed in fear. He paused in his tracks, eyes darting around nervously in search of its owner. He was sure this corridor only had two entrances on each end, so how did the figure that was chasing him down earlier manage to leap ahead of him without being noticed?   
  
  
His blood froze even more when he glanced ahead and found a pair of sharp, brown eyes staring back at him from the darkness, like a predator preparing to pounce on its prey.   
  
  
“W-what do you want from m-me?” He stuttered, swallowing thickly when those cat-like eyes narrowed further.   
  
  
“Where is it?”   
  
  
Almost on instinct, he knew what the dark figure was looking for, and he was almost tempted to offer the latter the information he was seeking. But then Im Joonshin remembered about the non-disclosure clause he’d signed when he had sold his soul to this ruthless company in exchange for his services, and the metaphorical guillotines hanging above his family’s heads if he went against it. He was suddenly plunged into a great dilemma.   
  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he therefore settled in a tone he hoped was calm enough. His voice had a propensity of betraying him at the most inopportune of moments, and if it happened this time, it might very well signal the end of his life.   
  
  
Apparently, the dark figure wasn’t going to settle for that. He was in Joonshin’s face in a second, muzzle of his gun pressed firmly to the underside of Joonshin’s jaw. He didn't even realise that the man had moved. Joonshin flinched at the sensation of cold metal against his skin, eyes flickering down towards the gun, widening when he noticed the intricate  _XIII_  etched on the body of the shiny, black ornamental gun.   
  
  
He was facing a Chronos Time Guardian.   
  
  
There was no mistaking it. The dark figure must be Kai, or the Shadow Walker as he was widely known amongst the people of the underworld. Joonshin had heard of the rumours, the retelling of their encounters with the Shadow Walker from the extremely rare few who made it out alive. The Shadow Walker was the most skilful assassin in the underworld, the one who crept through the shadows unnoticed and dealt deaths to his targets without them being any the wiser about his identity. Most died without even seeing his face.   
  
  
Joonshin muttered a silent prayer and fervently begged for forgiveness from the Gods above, even though he had never been a pious believer before, praying that he’d live to see his wife and daughter at the end of this exchange. His knees wobbled at the thought that his chances at survival were beyond slim.   
  
  
Kai chuckled coldly then, sending more shivers down Joonshin’s spine, and he clamped his legs tightly together, trying not to wet himself from fear and die an embarrassing death. It was difficult to keep himself together, when Kai’s piercing gaze was as potent as any weapon to render someone dead.   
  
  
“I have a feeling you know  _exactly_  what I’m referring to.” Kai drawled, checking his nails in disinterest. Joonshin swallowed hard when Kai pushed the gun deeper into his skin, his mouth parting slightly to gasp for breath because Kai was slowly cutting off his supply of oxygen.   
  
  
Joonshin’s knees were trembling so much at this point of time, he had to cling onto the wall for support, but he couldn’t find purchase with the film of sweat covering his hands. He met Kai’s eyes then, and felt his blood go cold again. He was going to end up as a part of Kai’s killing statistics before the night was even over, he was sure. But he was still adamant at keeping his wife and daughter safe – or die trying.   
  
  
Kai smirked at his perpetual silence. “One last chance.  _Where_  is the nanomachine?”   
  
  
“If you promise not to hurt my family–”   
  
  
“I’m not interested in your family. I just want to know where the nanomachine is.”   
  
  
There was a sort of indifference and callousness in Kai’s voice that made Joonshin think he had lost all traces of his humanity, leaving behind an empty shell that was programmed to kill. It was ironic, Joonshin thought, because he was working for an organisation that cloned humans and suffused them with nanomachines to make them invincible, turning them into the deadliest weapons known to mankind if it fell into the wrong hands – and it already had.   
  
  
Joonshin suddenly felt sorry for Kai. He didn’t look any older than 21.   
  
  
“Will you destroy it?” Joonshin asked shakily. Kai only chuckled.   
  
  
“That’s what I’m here for.”   
  
  
With a shaky finger raised in the general direction of the end of the corridor and a barely audible  _‘good’_ , Joonshinx smiled, finally resigned to his fate. He didn’t even feel the splitting of skin, or the sickening crack of bullet piercing bone, or the warm blood that soaked up his white working shirt that came seconds later. He could only think about the smiles of his precious family, safe from the cruelty of his employers, as his world turned black and the final threads of his consciousness slipped away from him.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
Kai effortlessly blended into the darkness, his long coat fluttering behind him as he sprinted down the corridor, senses in overdrive as he listened for the guards who might be chasing him down. A couple of minutes had passed since he left the middle-aged man’s lifeless body slumped on the ground behind him, and he was sure the security team would be converging onto him soon enough. He’d be more surprised if they hadn’t seen him through the million and one CCTVs lining the corridors.   
  
  
He slowed down to a jog when a solitary door came into sight with no other turns or exits in sight, rays of light bleeding out of the gap below. Pressing himself against the door, Kai tuned out even the sound of his own breathing to listen for any form of movement coming from within. His free, gloved hand came up to rest on the doorknob, clenching it slightly as he weighed his options.   
  
  
It seemed unlikely for test experiments to be kept in normal rooms instead of underground research labs, but this organisation had proved itself to deviate from the norm in more ways than one. Such deviations were unacceptable and would potentially threaten the delicate balance of the world’s economy – and by extension, peace – and Kai held the responsibility to eradicate wayward organisations. It was a part of the job description of a Chronos Time Guardian, a group of the thirteen most adept assassins in the world.   
  
  
Kai made his decision in a heartbeat.   
  
  
With a sharp twist of his wrist, Kai slipped into the room and took out the two guards within in mere seconds, then turned his gun towards the third and final person in the room with him. The armchair the person was seated in provided the perfect cushioning for his bullet, the thickness of the backrest just enough for it to slide nicely into a chamber of the person’s heart, leaving him to his slow, torturous death. Kai smirked. Perfect.   
  
  
The person turned around in his seat at the very same moment Kai’s gun gave a silent click, and for the first time in his life, Kai found himself absolutely stunned, the coldness seeping into his bones from the rude shock, trigger finger frozen in place. While he had been told that the organisation cloned humans and integrated nanomachines into them, turning them into weapons of mass destruction, Kai had never expected them to use a  _child_.   
  
  
As Kai stared at the wide-eyed boy who was looking up at him curiously, he remembered one second too late that this boy existed to be a weapon. He vaguely registered a dull, throbbing pain coming from his abdomen next, and he couldn’t say he was surprised to find a sharp blade plunged into him, coming from the wide-eyed boy who was still watching Kai emotionlessly, as though not able to register the gravity of his actions. Kai didn’t suppose he could.   
  
  
Gritting his teeth, Kai tuned out the pain to the best of his abilities and freed himself from the blade when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming in their direction – he had been found. He swallowed the pained snarl threatening to rip out of his throat when the tip of the blade slipped out of him, and glanced shakily at the boy again as he limped towards the opened window, committing the boy’s features to mind.   
  
  
He threw himself out of the window and dived into the darkness below, just as the guards managed to bring down the door to the room.   
  
  
They were left with the boy, two dead guards, and the intruder nowhere to be found.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
_“Does it kill you on the inside, to feel so helpless while you watch them bleed to death, ever so slowly?” The man in front of the child chuckled darkly as he watched the young one’s stunned expressions. The child remained silent, too shell-shocked to even cry, but his eyes cut up to glare at the man, hatred etched deep in them.  
  
  
The man squatted down and caught the boy roughly by his jaw. The boy inhaled sharply and flinched at the pressure clamped around his face, but the hatred was back on his expressions in a split second, almost as though it was never gone to begin with. The man smiled satisfactorily. “What’s wrong, boy? Do you feel so little for your parents that you can’t even cry?” His eyes flickered towards the lifeless bodies lying on the ground not far away from them, and the boy tensed up. A small sob escaped him, a brief moment of weakness crawling its way to the surface.   
  
  
“I hate you.” The boy managed, tone bitter. “I’ll_  kill  _you.”  
  
  
The man turned back towards the boy, eyebrows raised. “Oh?”He muses. “You want to kill me? Surely you know your own parents are quite skilled Sweepers themselves, but look at what happened to them.” He grabbed the boy by the roots of his hair and forced him to commit the aftermath to memory. The boy couldn’t avert his glance even if he wanted to.   
  
  
“I will get stronger and kill you. I swear my life on that.”   
  
  
The man chuckled again and pulled himself to stand, lazily drawing his gun out before training it on the boy. “I like that look in your eyes. Kim Jongin, was it? Tell you what; if you can dodge the bullets I’m about to put through your skull, then you have the permission to come after me.” He said, cocking the hammer. “Now_  run _.”_  
  
  
Kai’s eyes shot wide open when the man in his dreams –  _nightmare_  – pulled the trigger, breath leaving his lungs completely before rushing back in, making him gasp desperately for air. The dreams were recurrent, and Kai had long since stopped sitting up in shock, but it didn’t ever keep his heart from beating wildly against his chest, or prevent the sweat from soaking through his shirt at the end of it. He swallowed thickly to calm his racing heart down, fingernails digging into the flesh of his palms to distract himself, and he looked around to regain his bearings.   
  
  
He frowned in mild confusion when all he saw was a sea of white and grimaced when the smell of antiseptics assaulted his senses. The last thing Kai remembered was of him stumbling through the darkened alleyways in pain, hand pressed firmly against the wound created in him by that wide-eyed boy in the research facility to staunch the bleeding.   
  
  
His head protested strongly when he tried to recall how he had ended up in the hospital, and he snarled when the pain flared from the direction of his abdomen, a distasteful, unwanted reminder. It paralysed him, and all he could do was to tighten his grip on the white sheets beneath him, mentally willing the pain to go away.   
  
  
There was a soft clang coming from the direction of what Kai presumed was the bathroom when he accidentally kicked the bed frame in his spasms of pain, and soon a Chinese man with bangs swept neatly to the side to cover half of his right eye emerged from it, holding what seemed like a basin of water. Kai tilted his head to the side, watching the man curiously and momentarily forgetting about his pain, because since when did hospitals begin employing male nurses anyway?   
  
  
He knew he had been caught red-handed for staring too blatantly when the unknown man cleared his throat to get Kai’s attention. “If you’re wondering about your gun, it’s right under your pillow,” he quipped, and Kai immediately paled because he had forgotten about his gun’s existence until then.   
  
  
Kai only breathed a sigh of relief when the familiar feeling of cold metal against his palm was registered in his senses. He regained his murderous edge in a heartbeat, turning the muzzle of Hades upon the man in warning.   
  
  
To his surprise, though, the man didn’t even flinch. He calmly settled the basin of water on the bedside table, before turning around to face Kai with his hands on his hips. There was a disapproving frown on the man’s face as he said, “Put that gun  _down_. After all that I’ve done to haul your severely injured ass off the streets, do you honestly think I’m going to be a threat?”   
  
  
Kai found the confusion washing over him all over again. It wasn’t so much because he was worried that this man would harm him – he probably wasn’t a match for Kai, even if Kai had realised belatedly that there was a gun sticking out of the man’s belt, with a red Chinese knot attached to its end. It was more of the fact that the man didn’t seem to recognise the insignia on his gun, or the matching tattoo splayed across his collarbone in plain sight.  _Huh._    
  
  
“Are you even listening to me?” The man’s relaxed lilt pulled Kai out of his thoughts, and Kai found the man staring expectantly in his direction, eyebrows raised at the sight of Kai’s gun which was aimed at him still. Was he actually waiting for an answer?   
  
  
Kai let out a disbelieving scoff, ignoring the sharp stab of pain when he inhaled a little too quickly. Still under the intense scrutiny of the man, Kai climbed off the bed as naturally as he could, without the slightest hint that he was still in immense pain, and sauntered towards the window.   
  
  
“Where are you going? Are you out of your  _mind_?” The man asked again when Kai picked up his black overcoat and threw it around himself, practically shrieking when he managed to catch on to Kai’s intentions. His brain worked faster than he let on, Kai noted as he flashed a smirk at him.   
  
  
“Mind your own business.” He said simply, before throwing himself out of the window, landing gracefully three floors down and walking off without another glance at the dimpled man.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
Kai gingerly lowered himself onto the roof tiles, being careful not to let himself fall on his ass suddenly, or slip right off the edge of the roof. It would be a very humiliating death for someone of his standing, and he’d rather not ruin his reputation as such. The dull throb coming from his abdomen served as an incredibly annoying reminder of his stubbornness, of how he had, in a very irrational moment, leaped off the third floor of the damned hospital building just to show that dimpled Chinese man that he was fine and perfectly capable of moving around by himself.   
  
  
Except, Kai was anything  _but_  fine, and he had grossly underestimated the severity of his own injury. It really did hurt from even the slightest movement, but there was no way in hell Kai was going to admit that he was bothered by the pain, not even if his own blood had seeped through the bandages around his abdomen, drenching it in an obscene shade of scarlet which made heads turn in curiosity. He had been through this many times before; he could very well manage his own injuries without depending on the hospital or the doctors working there.   
  
  
Kai thought it was a show of weakness. To him, even the slightest hint of weakness was completely unacceptable.   
  
  
He winced again as he moved to lie on the tiles, being prudent not to aggravate his injuries further. A contented sigh left his lips at the coldness which seeped through the fabric of his overcoat, a feeling that was not unwelcomed. He’d spent years sleeping on cold floor during winter, dressed in nothing more than a sorry excuse for a shirt and equally thin pants, as part of the training to build his endurance. Those were truly hellish times, but Kai was nonetheless grateful that it helped kick him into shape.   
  
  
Kai blinked sleepily with his head cushioned by his folded arms, watching the starry skies above him, feeling oddly at peace for the first time in a long while. Such scenery was difficult to come by, and Kai tried hard not to let the reality of the failure of his mission to get to him. Not tonight. He would have plenty of time to think about it later, about how he should explain his failure to Chronos’ High Council. Failures weren’t taken lightly in his organisation, not that Kai had any experience of its repercussions prior to this. He simply  _didn’t_  fail.   
  
  
“You ought to be less stubborn and stick your ass back into the hospital, if you value your life at all.”   
  
  
Kai sat bolt upright at the voice, a colourful round of expletives leaving his lips when his vision turned white from the excruciating pain. It was unusual for him to be caught off-guard like this, not even by his fellow Chronos assassins. He was surprised further when the familiar sight of a dimpled man greeted him, and the rare panic consumed him when the man cupped his hand over Kai’s mouth and shoved some extremely suspicious pill down his throat.   
  
  
Kai instantly thought of cyanide.   
  
  
When Kai was about to vomit the drug out, the man immediately jammed the back of his arm against Kai’s neck. The impact of bone against his oesophagus was so strong that the drug was forced right down into his stomach instead of the other way around as Kai had wanted it to go.   
  
  
“I’m sure you have enough good sense to  _at least_  swallow the goddamned painkiller.” The man hissed, evidently having none of Kai’s protests.   
  
  
There was a satisfied look on Kai’s face moments later, though, when he found purchase on his gun in his belt and stuck it against the man’s chest. The man tensed up at the contact between metal and fabric; Kai was sure the coldness of Hades was seeping through his shirt, spreading the chill to the deepest depths of the man’s heart, warning of an imminent death should he move any muscle without Kai’s explicit permission.   
  
  
“And I’m sure  _you_  have enough good sense to get your arm away from me before I shoot you in the chest,” Kai half-choked, gasping slightly at the arm which was still impeding his airway. He drove the muzzle of the gun deeper against flesh when the man refused to budge.   
  
  
Slowly, the other man withdrew his limb, keeping his arms raised above his head as a gesture of peace. Kai was having none of the display – it proved costly to trust someone he didn’t even know, especially when Kai had no inkling what the man was trying to accomplish – and kept his gun trained upon him.   
  
  
“You’re bleeding.” The man pointed out, gaze tentative on the spreading crimson on the bandages around Kai’s middle. “Let me take care of that for you.” Kai’s eyes flickered downwards for a split moment, then snapped back to look at the man just as fast.   
  
  
“This is nothing.” Kai said, voice steeled. There was a small spark within him that stirred, Kai noticed; he wasn’t used to people paying attention to him in such a manner. “What are you doing here?”   
  
  
“I know you’re the Shadow Walker,” the man said quietly, the determination burning in his eyes, “but having a name that makes you sound invincible doesn’t  _actually_  make you invincible. Have you no sense of self-preservation? At all?”   
  
  
Kai’s pupils dilated marginally at the man’s words, but the cold mask was back on in a flash. “And this concerns you, why?” He sneered, fingers wrapping around the handle of Hades a little tighter.   
  
  
“Because no matter how the others perceive you to be, I think you’re a vulnerable person beneath all that. Can’t you let someone care for you–”  
  
  
The man was interrupted mid-sentence when Kai closed the distance between them, gun pressed against the underside of his jaw, their faces impossibly close as Kai snarled, “ _You_  are the one who has no sense of self-preservation. I could put a bullet in you so fast, you wouldn’t even know what hit you.”   
  
  
The man’s gaze was steady as he regarded Kai, almost as though he was completely unperturbed by Kai’s threat. “Then why  _didn’t_  you?” He challenged.   
  
  
Kai stumbled backwards at the impact of those words, wondering for himself why exactly he had allowed this dimpled man ample time to commit Kai’s face to memory instead of killing him off like he should have done back in the hospital. There was a ghost of a smile on the man’s face, seemingly able to see through Kai’s thoughts, and it unnerved Kai terribly.   
  
  
With one last resolute glare, Kai composed himself enough to throw the man a warning. “If we ever cross paths again, make no mistake that it’ll be the very last time you will draw a single breath.”   
  
  
The man watched wordlessly as Kai took a step, then two away from him, gun still raised. When Kai was certain that the man got his point, he turned around and leaped onto the opposite roof, taking off quickly and putting a large distance between them before the man could even react.   
  
  
He didn’t think he could handle the unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach any longer.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
Kai’s face was a mask of poorly-concealed impatience and annoyance as he stood in front of two regally-dressed individuals, the hands in his coat pockets clenching and unclenching in a habit to tone down his agitation. He hasn’t really recovered from his injuries, but he expected nothing less from the top two figures in Chronos, for them to seek him out this soon. They had a way to learn of his whereabouts, no matter how hard Kai tried to conceal his tracks.   
  
  
He wondered whether they had a tracking chip inserted in him.   
  
  
“Kai, I know you prefer acting alone, but you know the protocols.” Kai looked up when he thought he heard a sigh, and regretted it immediately. The Number One and the commander of the Chronos Time Guardians, Leeteuk, was quite the motherly figure, if one looked past the fact that he was a deadly assassin like the rest of the Chronos Time Guardians, killing his opponents swiftly with his trusted rapier. Beside him, his second-in-command, Yesung’s expressions were stern, his narrowed eyes on the verge of boring literal holes into Kai. Kai flushed a little under their gazes – more from Leeteuk’s than Yesung’s, ironically – and looked away hastily. He knew that the crawl beneath his skin was not the end result of Leeteuk’s authoritativeness, but rather something he had been trying to run away from all this while.   
  
  
Kai would rather not identify the emotion.   
  
  
“I was going to report back to the High Council as soon as I–” Kai started petulantly, only to be interrupted by Yesung’s gruff voice.   
  
  
“–as soon as you’ve dispatched the target after failing once?” The last two words made Kai flinch inwardly, a painful reminder of his first failure upon being initiated into Chronos as the thirteenth – and admittedly, strongest, breaking the tradition of the members’ numbering based on their strength – member years ago. He could sense the disappointment radiating off the both of them. “Protocol states that you  _have_  to update us on even the slightest changes in circumstances surrounding your mission and–”  
  
  
“Enough.” Leeteuk’s words were quiet, but they commanded him the silence that was needed from Yesung and Kai. Kai pretended not to notice the gentleness of Leeteuk’s hand on Yesung’s arm, a gesture bordering on being intimate. The relationship between the top two members of Chronos wasn’t exactly a secret; not one that was well-kept, at least.   
  
  
“Kai, I am going to let things slide for this one time.” Leeteuk said again, pulling Kai’s attention back to him. He raised a hand to stop Yesung when the man seemed to want to protest against the decision, mentioning something about possibly incurring the wrath of the High Council. “Don’t disappoint me. I am expecting you to succeed this time.”   
  
  
Kai’s only response to the commander’s kindness was a respectful bow. He straightened himself when Leeteuk and Yesung disappeared into the darkness, and let go of the breath he didn’t even know he had been holding. Now that he had been given an ultimatum to complete this mission successfully  _or else_ , he was determined to go all out in annihilating the organisation. Sacrifices didn't mean anything to him, as long as he could get the job done.   
  
  
When Kai was about to leave the meeting location, he stopped mid-step and looked up when someone walked into his path. His hand flew to Hades at once, thinking that someone was attempting an ambush on him, his senses on high alert, but his grip on the gun slackened when he recognised who it was. His defensive stance, however, remained.   
  
  
"X-Mas, what business do you have with me?" Kai spoke curtly, watching the thin man with sharp eyes. X-Mas was one of the Erasers employed under Chronos who was assigned to Kai, to assist him in missions whenever his service was required. X-Mas, Kai noted, also seemed to have a pathological obsession with anything related to Kai, so much that it was actually disturbing.   
  
  
"Oh no, it's nothing." X-Mas smiled that characteristic scheming smile of his. "I just wanted to let you know that you have my support. I know you're more than capable of completing this mission, even if Number One and Number Two do not think so."   
  
  
Kai just stared at him oddly, before he turned to leave. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."   
  
  
“If you’re willing, I can assist you in this mission...” X-Mas added, making Kai pause for a brief moment.   
  
  
“No.” The Time Guardian snapped, his sharp eyes cutting towards X-Mas in a threatening manner. X-Mas’s gleeful expressions fell immediately. “I do not need your interference.” He said coldly, and sprinted away as fast as he could. Kai ignored the shiver running down his spine, knowing that X-Mas was watching him with too-keen eyes which wouldn’t leave his back until Kai was completely out of sight.   
  
  
Erasers were nuisances.   
  
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
Kai ran down the corridors silently, expertly moving out of range away from the CCTVs whose locations he now knew of, not wanting to attract attention to himself even though he usually enjoyed bagging an extra kill or two on his missions. He wanted to get the job done with minimal complications, and this was the only way to go about it. Besides, there was no room for failure. Neither he nor Chronos allowed for it.   
  
  
He didn't think the organisation would be so negligent as to keep their precious nanomachine in the same room after his previous infiltration of the building, but Kai had seen the boy standing by the same window Kai had jumped out from just a week ago. Of course, he wasn't complaining. He had the path to the room memorised – less blind searching to do.   
  
  
Kai cursed under his breath when he barged into the room, though, greeted by at least a dozen pair of eyes of bodyguards employed to guard the deadly, living weapon. He did a quick survey of the room, figuring out that it was far too small to contain an all out fight, so Kai whipped Hades out of its holster and ran in the opposite direction, back to where he had came from.   
  
  
He turned sharply in his position as he ran, firing shots at the guards who gave chase. Two went down in a flash, but even more guards converged upon him from other directions.  _Damn._    
  
  
Kai almost paused in his tracks when a flurry of movement suddenly passed him by, with the familiar sight of a red Chinese knot strung to the end of a gun.   
  
  
"You really have  _no_  sense of self-preservation. Working so hard already before you’re even fully recovered?" The newcomer said with mock exasperation. The exclamation brought a smirk to Kai's face, and without even having to look at the person, he knew that it was the pesky dimpled man whom he had sworn to kill on the next time they meet. But for now, he figured they were working towards the same aim – Kai had seen the posters calling for the extermination of the nanomachines around, coming with it a handsome reward for the Sweeper that succeeded – so he might as well use the man's presence to his benefit.   
  
  
"You do remember that I'm going to kill you right?" Kai taunted as he fell in line with the man, both firing shots at the seemingly endless stream of guards filtering into the narrow corridor, dodging bullets that were raining upon them at the same time.   
  
  
The man only laughed, the amusement twinkling in his eyes. "You could do it now," he suggested as they pressed their backs together, aiming at opposite ends of the corridor, a wordless arrangement to avoid a wastage of bullets. Kai was mildly surprised at how they managed to fall into a silent understanding even though they barely knew each other at all, but said nothing about it.   
  
  
“I could,” he agreed easily as he slotted a new magazine into Hades, “but I’m not stupid enough to murder someone who could help me clear up this mess. I could always chase you down and kill you after.”   
  
  
Kai was about to snap at the man for shooting at the ceiling, wondering what on actual fuck he was trying to do, but kept his mouth shut when the bullet ricocheted off the bricks and planted itself in one of the guards’ shoulder blade, sending him crumbling to the floor in excruciating pain. The next few rounds were fired in the same manner, and Kai trusted that the man knew what he was doing; otherwise it wouldn’t have explained why he was still alive.   
  
  
“In case you can’t catch up,” the man said again, sending a cheeky grin at Kai, “just head to the Sweepers’ Alliance and ask for Yixing. I’m sure someone will direct you to me.  _Eventually_.”   
  
  
Kai scoffed at the amount of self-confidence the man –  _Yixing_  – had. “Better not regret what you’ve just said.”   
  
  
“We’ll see who can get to the target first.”   
  
  
Yixing's grin grew wider as he sent a roundhouse kick at two of the guards, and then raised his eyebrows in a playful challenge at Kai. Kai made a face, but he couldn't deny that he felt  _extremely_  excited at the prospect of competing against Yixing, just to show him who's boss.   
  
  
Kai accepted the challenge with a bullet through the forehead of a guard who was about to ambush Yixing from behind, then lifted his gun over his shoulder and shot another guard who tried to sneak up on him without even looking at the man.   
  
  
"Game on."   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
Kai was hopping from one roof to another while being shrouded by darkness, skidding to a complete stop when he finally found the person he had been looking for. Feeling the anger flare within him, he approached the man at once, grabbing him roughly by the shoulders. The man didn't seem to have realised Kai was there until he was pulled to stand.   
  
  
"Yixing, what the hell did you think you were doing back there?" He seethed, almost breathing down Yixing's neck.   
  
  
When Kai had eliminated his share of guards at the organisation earlier, Yixing was already gone from the corridor, and when Kai had returned to the room where the nanomachine was kept in, even his target was missing. Kai put two and two together, realising that Yixing had ran off with the nanomachine.   
  
  
His temper was provoked further when he noticed how calm Yixing appeared at the confrontation. In fact, Yixing didn't even look at him as he spoke, but past him instead. "I'm sure you're not blind; what did it look like I was doing?"   
  
  
Kai tightened his grip on the front of Yixing's shirt, pulling him that much closer to Kai. " _Don't fuck with me._ " He shook Yixing roughly. "I didn’t give a fuck when you wanted to spare those guards, but the nanomachine  _needs_  to be destroyed!"   
  
  
"The reward said to capture him, dead or alive." Yixing shrugged, still unperturbed by Kai's show of violence, or the fact that he now had a gun pressed against Yixing's abdomen. "I merely decided on the latter."   
  
  
There was a look of surprise on Yixing's face when Kai released his hold on him and reeled around in frustration, running his hand through his dark head of hair, as though he wasn’t expecting the action from Kai. The Chronos assassin paced about on the roof while scrubbing his hair, seemingly engaged in a fierce internal debate with himself.   
  
  
“Have you any idea–” Kai started again when he could come up with a coherent enough sentence, “–how much trouble you’ve gotten me into? I’m–”  _about to be punished severely for a misjudgement on my part for keeping you alive_ , Kai was about to say, but held his tongue. He had no idea why he had rambled off in that direction when Yixing didn’t even have the need to know, and he mentally chastised himself. “Just. Tell me where the fuck the nanomachine is, and I’ll call off my previous threat.”   
  
  
"Can't." Yixing said, returning to sit in his previous spot. "You  _saw_  him, Kai. He's a  _child_ –"  
  
  
"He's cloned! He's a  _weapon_  which will potentially destroy the whole damned world!" Kai yelled back. It was the first time he had actually raised his voice at someone, and he really wondered what exactly was holding him back from planting a bullet through Yixing's chest. Kai inhaled deeply and attempted to calm himself down.   
  
  
"Cloned or not, he's still a child." Yixing retorted calmly. "I definitely can't kill a child. Can  _you_?"   
  
  
Kai's jaw slackened at the challenge, unable to find the words to reply Yixing. Even though Kai hated to admit it, Yixing was right. He couldn't kill a child, having been in the exact same predicament himself years ago. It was also the very same reason why he couldn’t put an end to the nanomachine when he had first encountered it; encountered  _him_.   
  
  
"I–" Kai stuttered, then inhaled deeply, quickly changing the subject. "Yixing, stop being difficult. Are you going to sit here and let our world get destroyed if that nanomachine falls into the wrong hands?"   
  
  
Yixing's levelled gaze when he turned around to regard Kai unsettled the Time Guardian – it was something that has been happening a lot ever since Yixing walked into his life a week ago. He wasn't supposed to get affected by someone he barely knew. He wasn't supposed to get this affected by anyone  _at all_.   
  
  
"I am going to tell you one thing: the kid is in good hands. He will be protected from harm, or from being exploited by the others." Yixing grounded out, bright eyes scrutinising every change in Kai's expressions, making Kai squirm. "My previous question still stands: would you be able to kill a child?"   
  
  
At this, Kai bristled. "If that's how you want to play it, fine. I'll search for him myself, and I  _will_  put an end to him and the person guarding him. And then I will be back to kill you."   
  
  
"I'll be waiting."   
  
  
Kai balled his hands into fists by his sides, trembling mildly in anger. There were so many things he wanted to say to Yixing, yet nothing at the same time, so he opted to stay silent instead to save himself from saying things he wasn't supposed to reveal. Just as he was about to leave Yixing behind, though, Yixing pointed out something which would make Kai's mind race around busily long after he'd heard it.   
  
  
"There's more to life than killing other humans, Kai."   
  
  
Kai swallowed thickly, and walked away without another word or glance at Yixing.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
“You look troubled, Master Kai.”   
  
  
Kai, who was perched on the ledge of the rooftop, glanced over his shoulder at the sound of the comment, his hand immediately finding purchase on the hilt of his gun. He was in an irritable mood, having been grilled several times over by the Chronos High Council Elders for his repeated failure at eliminating the nanomachine, and he wasn’t in the least bit interested in entertaining conversations at the moment.   
  
  
“Fuck off, X-Mas. I don’t remember calling for a meeting with you.” Kai snarled, only managing to stop X-Mas from advancing further. The infuriating know-it-all smirk remained imprinted on X-Mas’s face.   
  
  
“But it is my responsibility to serve you, regardless whether you've summoned for me,” said X-Mas, apparently not knowing the amount of danger he was currently in, with Kai in such a volatile mood. “Number One and Number Two were very kind to have intervened on your behalf.”   
  
  
Kai squeezed his eyes shut in irritation. He didn’t need to be reminded of the Council meeting or how Leeteuk and Yesung had stepped in and  _pleaded_  on his behalf, for Kai to be kept on the mission to eliminate the nanomachine. Kai thought he was being disgraced, but Leeteuk maintained that Kai was still a child and had to be protected when they had walked out of the Elders’ private chambers and Kai had turned upon Leeteuk with Hades pressed against the underside of Leeteuk’s jaw. He would’ve taken out Leeteuk’s brains, if Yesung hadn’t hung his scythe over Kai’s head and threatened to lob it off the moment Kai pulled the trigger.   
  
  
“I’m giving you two seconds to get the fuck out of my sight.” Kai breathed deeply, fingers gripping Hades a little tighter. He wasn’t supposed to kill Erasers employed under Chronos, but perhaps he could make it look like an unfortunate accident–  
  
  
“And I have important information for you.” X-Mas offered without missing a beat. “Information regarding the nanomachine’s whereabouts."   
  
  
That had Kai listening, and his hold on Hades loosened marginally. He kept his guard high, though, waiting to strike at the slightest hint that X-Mas was bringing him on a useless joyride just to buy himself more time. "I'm listening."   
  
  
"The nanomachine is with a Sweeper, here in Seoul. I can give you the address."   
  
  
Kai regarded him cautiously. "Why didn't you approach the nanomachine on your own, if you already have its location at hand?"   
  
  
"I'm not supposed to override your authority as a Time Guardian," X-Mas said, the corner of his lips curling into a scheming smile. "I am merely here to assist you, and I take that responsibility with full pride. It's an honour to serve the greatest Time Guardian in Chronos."   
  
  
Kai raised a hand to stop X-Mas just as he was about to bow at Kai. He wasn't used to such treatment from the others, which was one of the reasons why he had rejected the arrangement for an Eraser to begin with. He preferred working alone. No complications to worry about, no extra asses to cover.   
  
  
"Keep your flattery to yourself." He scoffed, then extended an open palm towards X-Mas. "Hand it over."   
  
  
"Your wish is my command, master." X-Mas said, sliding a piece of paper with an address scribbled upon it into Kai's hand.   
  
  
Kai closed his fingers around it and left without dignifying X-Mas with words of gratitude.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
Kai pressed his back firmly against the wall, making himself as unnoticeable as possible in the already-dark alley, sneaking glances through the window at the occupants within the house on the ground floor. When he was sure no one was looking, he used the window sill as support, easily heaving himself onto it and using it as a platform to climb onto the ledge of the second floor apartment, before he landed gracefully on the metal railings of the upper unit's balcony.   
  
  
This unit's window was more opaque than the one below, smeared with dirt through a lack of cleaning, but the light filtered through it just enough for Kai to make out the shapes of three humans within. One of them was significantly smaller than the other two, and Kai knew with conviction that the address given to him by X-Mas was accurate when he caught sight of Yixing. The other two in the house must be the nanomachine and the Sweeper Yixing had mentioned fleetingly about.   
  
  
Kai pulled Hades out of its holster, cocking the weapon as he assessed the situation. He knew what Yixing and the nanomachine were capable of to a certain extent, but the other person with them was a complete mystery to him. Unfamiliarity meant danger, and it also meant that the man had to be eliminated first so that Kai could focus on dealing with Yixing and the nanomachine later.   
  
  
He made his move without another moment wasted, ramming his shoulder hard enough against the window to shatter it. Kai tumbled across the living room floor, smirking when he noticed the weapons on the coffee table nearest to him. They were completely unarmed, Kai relished as he aimed the muzzle of his own weapon at the trio.   
  
  
"I'm sorry for intruding upon your private time–" Kai began, his sharp eyes cutting towards the nanomachine, whom stared back at him through innocent, wide eyes. "–but I believe you have something I need."   
  
  
As expected, Yixing was the first to speak up. "How did you even find this place?" Meanwhile, Yixing's Sweeper companion tugged on the nanomachine's arm, pulling the wide-eyed boy behind him, hiding him from view. Kai thought the action silly; he would still kill the living weapon regardless.   
  
  
Kai broke his eye contact with the nanomachine then to look at Yixing. "I have my sources." He stated simply, expressions smug. "Now we can do this the easy way; hand over the boy, and I will consider sparing your lives."   
  
  
"What if we refuse?" Yixing challenged, but Kai noticed how his gaze kept flickering between the guns on the table behind Kai and back at the Chronos Time Guardian. There was something in Yixing's eyes which told Kai he was doing some calculations in his head, trying to get the gears in his mind turning fast enough. Surely Yixing wasn't planning on crossing the room over to Kai's side to grab his gun?   
  
  
Then again, it would make it easier for Kai to dispose of Yixing first. He could always accommodate minor changes in his plans. Kai smirked in response to Yixing’s lingering question. "If you refuse, then I would have no choice but to kill you to get to him."   
  
  
Yixing was oddly calm as he regarded Kai. "You would still kill me regardless," he said evenly, and Kai was reminded of his threat to end Yixing's life once he'd tracked the nanomachine and its protector down and eliminated them.   
  
  
Kai's lips was pulled up into an amused smile, but before he could say anything else, the remaining windows of the apartment unit were shattered with a loud crash, jolting everyone in the room into renewed attention. Kai's eyes widened in surprise when he recognised the newcomers as Eunhyuk and Donghae – Number Seven and Number Eight of the Time Guardians.   
  
  
"Seven, Eight, what the hell are you two doing here?!" Kai hissed, his attention cutting towards the pair momentarily before returning to the trio across the room from him. He wasn't about to let the nanomachine slip away right under his nose again.   
  
  
"We're acting under the Council's orders." Eunhyuk said, leaning against the window sill with an air of nonchalance. From the corner of his eyes, Kai could the light glinting off the surface of Eunhyuk's daggers, crafted from Orichalcum just like Hades was – virtually indestructible.   
  
  
“I didn’t request for assistance.” Kai replied coldly, cocking the hammer of his gun when Yixing’s tall companion with awkwardly long limbs moved. “ _Stay right there._  I’m not done with you.”   
  
  
Donghae chuckled. “Obviously the Council doesn’t have much faith in you any longer, Thirteen. Such is the fall of the golden boy.” His tone was mocking, and it grated on Kai’s nerves. It took Kai all of his self-control to not turn his gun upon Donghae and shoot him dead.   
  
  
“Stay out of this,” Kai warned, but he guessed he should have expected the reply that followed.   
  
  
“Make us.”   
  
  
What happened next could best be described as utter chaos. Kai didn’t know what had possessed him, but he snatched the guns off the coffee table and launched them at their rightful owners, twisting his lithe body just enough to avoid getting stabbed in the gut by one of Eunhyuk’s flying daggers.   
  
  
Yixing shot him a confused look when he caught his gun, but was quick to fire a shot at the ceiling, the way Kai knew he would, and caught Eunhyuk off-guard when the bullet landed dangerously close to his foot. Eunhyuk jumped backwards while Donghae charged forward to get Yixing. Yixing parried one of Donghae’s incoming twin blades with the body of his weapon, then slid to the far end of the room the moment an opportunity presented itself, pulling the nanomachine along with him.   
  
  
“Get out!” Kai yelled at the other Sweeper when he saw an opening, with the other two Time Guardians being far away from the door. “Get the nanomachine and run!”   
  
  
The Sweeper didn’t need to be told twice. Yixing, on the other hand, stayed to fight off Eunhyuk who wanted to give chase, and for once, Kai was worried that Yixing might die. Eunhyuk’s daggers, aptly named the Seven Sins, were deadly to those who didn’t know of their nature. Kai couldn’t warn Yixing of them now, but he hoped Yixing would be alert enough to take good care of his own ass.   
  
  
Donghae was in Kai’s face in a flash, pulling his attention away from Yixing and Eunhyuk’s fight. “Are you  _crazy_?” He snarled as their weapons met with a resounding clang. “What you’re doing – it’s treason of the highest order!”   
  
  
Kai’s response was a toothy grin as he tried to push Donghae’s weight back. “I don’t see the Elders taking that into consideration when they sent you here.” Kai said, gathering all his energy to push Donghae away from him so that he could get a decent range to open fire. It was then that Kai realised why Yixing had such an eccentric shooting method.   
  
  
Donghae glared at him from the distance, his chest heaving violently from the exertion, but did not make any further attacks. Eunhyuk slid past Kai to join Donghae moments later, and Yixing fell in next to Kai.   
  
  
“Why are you doing this?” Yixing whispered, watching Eunhyuk and Donghae with careful eyes lest they made a move. “Didn’t you come here to get Kyungsoo? Why did you let Chanyeol take him away?”   
  
  
“Kyungsoo?” Kai whispered back, confused, then something clicked in his mind and he realised they actually  _gave_  the nanomachine a  _name_. What the hell. “He’s my prey. No one can have their hands on him unless they walk over my dead body.”   
  
  
Yixing’s gun gave a tentative click then. Kai’s eyes narrowed when Eunhyuk and Donghae assumed their battle stances. “Are you abandoning Chronos, then?” Yixing asked in a low voice, attention still on the pair of Time Guardians with them.   
  
  
“Well,” Kai smirked and raised Hades at his ex-colleagues, “I don’t think I have much of a choice, do I?”   
  
  
He then opened fire. Yixing followed suit.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
"God, hold  _still_  will you?" Yixing snarled at Kai – it was the first time he'd ever been truly hostile towards Kai – as he tried to disinfect the nasty gash in Kai's shoulder, but became incredibly frustrated when Kai kept inching further away from him. Kai bit on his lip when the antiseptic-soaked cotton met with exposed flesh, drawing more blood, only relaxing when the initial sting faded.   
  
  
"Easy for you to say," Kai retorted petulantly when the pain stopped being a distraction. "You're not the one getting this stuffed into your wounds."   
  
  
Yixing gave himself a once-over, then flashed a saccharine smile at Kai. Kai shuddered. "Too bad. I'm not the one with shit ass terrible injuries." Yixing commented, and pressed a fresh gauze against the wound he was working on earlier. He grinned satisfactorily when Kai yelled in pain, and Kai vaguely wondered if Yixing weren't a sadist at heart.   
  
  
"Whose fault do you think it is?" Kai snapped as he pulled his shirt back on, silently feeling glad that Yixing was finally done when he dropped the last piece of soiled gauze into the pot of leftover antiseptics.   
  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Thank you." Yixing suddenly admitted, and Kai turned to him in surprise because his tone was one of genuine repentance. Kai wasn't really expecting Yixing to thank him for taking Eunhyuk's flying dagger on Yixing's behalf, and landed himself with such a nasty wound on his shoulder.   
  
  
In fact, Kai didn't really know why he had taken the hit for Yixing. He acted by instinct, convincing himself that he was the one who knew how Eunhyuk’s daggers worked. He had twisted his body just enough to prevent the weapon from cleanly slicing his head off, but even so, it left him with quite a severe injury.   
  
  
Yes, perhaps that was why Kai had jumped into the trajectory of the dagger Eunhyuk had launched at Yixing –  _Lust_. The dagger had a curving course, and was sharp enough to cut through thick tree barks. The sharpness was the nature of weapons made out of Orihalcum, but the curving trajectory was unique only to Lust. Yixing wouldn’t have had stood a chance against Eunhyuk.   
  
  
It was a good thing Yixing had smoke bombs to aid their escape, though Kai would’ve liked it better if he could at least take one of the Time Guardians down. It would mean reducing the pair’s power by half, since Number Seven and Number Eight worked better when they were together.   
  
  
“What do you plan on doing, now that you’ve abandoned Chronos? And are you really going to hunt Kyungsoo down?” A long stretch of silence followed, before Yixing spoke up again. Kai turned towards the other man, noticing how he was dangling his feet over the ledge while glancing at the almost-deserted streets below. They were still in Seoul, but Kai hoped fervently that the assassins from Chronos wouldn’t catch up with him this soon.   
  
  
“I’ve never really thought of it.” Kai admitted, shrugging. Even with the threat of death hanging above his head when the Elders learn of his betrayal, Kai felt oddly liberated. “There’s nothing else I can do except to kill for survival, though. I’m not going to go after Kyungsoo. I no longer have a reason to. Let Chronos deal with him as they see fit.”   
  
  
“That’s good. At least I wouldn’t have to go against you.” Yixing hummed, then came up with a suggestion which Kai might’ve rejected outright if he were still bound to his responsibilities at Chronos. “Why don’t you join me, Kai? As a Sweeper, I mean.”   
  
  
Kai brightened up at the prospect. He could still kill and earn enough to ensure himself a comfortable life, as long as he could evade Chronos’ radars. Not a bad idea at all. There was a pang of sadness in him when he remembered about his parents, who were both Sweepers before their demise, but thought he could probably make them proud if he were to become a Sweeper himself. He quickly pushed those thoughts aside, and smirked at Yixing.   
  
  
“Are you sure? I might just decide to turn around and put a bullet through your head at any given time, you know.” Kai said, and Hades’ muzzle was against Yixing’s temple in a flash. Yixing was unperturbed by his actions, merely pushing the gun away with the back of his arm, expressions deadpan.   
  
  
“I could live with the possibility of that happening, yes, so make up your damned mind already Kai,” was his reply, and Kai beamed, sincerely, for what could be the first time in his life.   
  
  
“Call me Jongin.”   
  
  
  
\--

 

Jongin had never learned of true freedom in life until he met Yixing and left Chronos. Right now, dashing through the busy streets of Beijing in an impromptu game of hide and seek with his latest target as a Sweeper, he had a huge grin plastered on his face, enjoying every bit of the chase. Sure, these targets were not hardcore criminals or highly dangerous individuals like the ones he had to hunt down and kill during his time with Chronos, but they earned him a high pay regardless. There wasn't much of a reason to complain.   
  
  
It was difficult for him, at first, to not kill his targets to claim the reward. It definitely didn't help that they were usually tagged with a captured-alive-or-dead condition. He was all too glad to finish these bounties off with a bullet through their skulls – less hassle of chasing them around. But then there was Yixing and his perpetually disapproving face whenever Yixing found Jongin bent over their very dead targets.   
  
  
He knew Yixing didn't like to kill, but Jongin had never thought that he would be so against Jongin killing, too. So he tried conforming to Yixing's ideals, and ended up finding greater fun in catching a bounty after harassing them thoroughly rather than killing them off without giving them a chance to speak. When he was in a good mood and felt his targets were wronged, Jongin would even let them go unharmed.   
  
  
Of course, Jongin made sure to warn their targets to not breathe a word about the  _XIII_  mark on his gun. He was still keen on staying off Chronos' radars, even though he had some close shaves with the Erasers from the organisation. It was surprising, though, that none of the other Time Guardians were spotted. He kept his guard high regardless.   
  
  
"Kai!" Jongin looked to his left when his codename was called, grinning. He'd made Yixing promise to not call him Jongin while they were out in public. The name was strictly personal, and only a select few in this world who knew of it. Yixing was one of those people, and Jongin did not regret letting him know. Yixing proved to be valuable company.   
  
  
“Yeah? What do you want?” Jongin called back, his breath mildly ragged from all the running he had been doing.   
  
  
"About time for the little kitty to pounce on the mouse!" Yixing shouted again as he tried to match Jongin's pace.   
  
  
Jongin made a face at Yixing, but maintained his speed and jumped across the gap separating two closely-built buildings. He cocked his gun and did a quick scan of the crowd for their target.   
  
  
"I'm  _not_  a kitten, you fucking asshole." He yelled back, and dove into the crowd amidst Yixing's cackling. There was a smile playing on Jongin's lips.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
That night, Jongin and Yixing found themselves on the rooftop, munching away at the cooked meat they had gotten with the reward money. It was by no means a huge sum, but the pair had learned how to live with what they had, only going on another bounty hunt when their supply of money ran out.   
  
  
“Hey Yixing, what happened to Kyungsoo and that Sweeper friend of yours?” The words tumbled out of Jongin’s lips before he could even stop them, but he figured the question would do no harm. Jongin shrugged, mostly to himself, and took a swig from the can of beer in his hand.   
  
  
Yixing swallowed the last piece of meat he had, and turned towards Jongin. “They’re somewhere. Not exactly hiding, but not exactly making their presence known, either.”   
  
  
“That’s very informative of you.” Jongin made a face, and Yixing laughed.   
  
  
“I’m sure they’re doing well. Chanyeol took quite a liking to Kyungsoo, you know. Said he was going to take good care of Kyungsoo, even if he had to put his life on the line.” Yixing said. He pulled his legs close to his chest, and rested his chin on his knees as he stared ahead. “Kyungsoo’s in good hands.”   
  
  
“I don’t doubt that.” Jongin agreed easily. Even though he hadn’t spoken to Chanyeol before, he deduced that Chanyeol must be a very responsible person, based on Yixing’s descriptions alone.   
  
  
A comfortable silence settled in between them then, and Jongin leaned backwards, supporting his weight with outstretched arms. He turned to the side, and smiled when he caught sight of Yixing looking pensively at the moonlight above them. After all the times they had spent being together, day in and day out, Jongin had discovered that Yixing would always be thinking about something whenever silence settled in.   
  
  
He decided that he quite liked the ghost of a smile playing on Yixing’s lips at times like these, and he wondered whether he was the only person who had the privilege of seeing this side of Yixing. Above all, Jongin wished he could find out what went on in Yixing’s mind.   
  
  
Several more moments of silence went by, before Jongin shattered it with another question. “Yixing, why don’t you ever kill your targets? Wouldn’t it make things easier for you, instead of having to chase them across the city and tie them up after?” It was something Jongin had been wondering all this while.   
  
  
Yixing eyes were still transfixed on the night skies above them as he spoke. “To kill and be killed – it’s a vicious cycle, and someone has to put an end to it. Why not incapacitate someone for good, and hope that they will turn over a new leaf and step out of this cycle?"   
  
  
"What are the odds of that happening?"   
  
  
Yixing turned to look at him then, wearing a thin smile on his lips. "It’s not a bad thing to hope, Jongin. Not everyone’s hearts are made out of darkness – not even yours."   
  
  
Jongin’s eyes widened in surprise. "You think?"   
  
  
The smile Yixing returned this time was stronger, firmer. "I  _know_."   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
Jongin noticed, slowly but surely, how it became increasingly difficult to disentangle Yixing’s existence from his life. Yixing was a constant presence, always there when Jongin needed someone to reassure him that he was no longer with Chronos, that this was real, that this was his life now.   
  
  
In a way, Yixing acted as an anchor of sorts to Jongin, keeping him grounded whenever he felt as though he was losing a part of himself, reminding him there wasn’t a need to kill when Jongin’s rationality was on the brink of falling apart when he stood in front of their target who had committed some distasteful crime and was about to stick a bullet through their target’s heart. Jongin had very nearly reverted to his old self – the Shadow Walker part of him – several times now, but all it took was Yixing’s soft words and gentle touches to drag Jongin back to reality.   
  
  
It was baffling, how easily Yixing had managed to slip into Jongin’s life unnoticed, especially when Jongin preferred to keep everyone at an arm’s length away. Yixing was already too far involved with Jongin’s life when Jongin had come to a realisation. He didn’t mind it, and had never attempted to push Yixing away from him, now that he knew Yixing wasn’t a fragile doll and wouldn’t break as easily as anyone else would – and that was possibly the most frightening part of it all. Jongin couldn’t push Yixing away even if he wanted to.   
  
  
Being with Yixing made him realise how lost he’d been when he was with Chronos, with no true aim in life but to follow orders and execute them, drenching his hands and his existence with the blood of hundreds upon thousands of people. But now, now he had a reason to keep living and to smile, because he knew someone would always be there to reciprocate with an even brighter beam.   
  
  
Jongin therefore swallowed his fears, and desperately clung onto Yixing’s companionship in a way that he had never done before.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
The first real glimpse of Kai, the cold and dangerous side of Jongin, crawled back to the surface of his being almost four months after he’d left the organisation.   
  
  
Jongin and Yixing were tailing their newest target one Saturday morning, lagging ways behind the burly man as they made their way through the marketplace crowd. They were close to nabbing him without kicking up a commotion, when Jongin caught sight of a girl with long, silky ebony hair and all graceful movements from the corner of his eyes. The Roman  _VI_  tattooed behind her ear when the breeze swept her hair up was unmistakable, and Jongin promptly froze in his steps, his blood running cold.   
  
  
Yixing turned around when he realised Jongin was no longer by his side, not caring if their target was slipping out of sight. It was probably the first time Yixing had actually seen Jongin paralysed in fear. The fear was present even in Jongin’s usually confident gaze. He wasted no time in approaching Jongin, pulling him to the side.   
  
  
“Jongin,” Yixing hissed urgently, but Jongin’s eyes were still out of focus, looking at something in the distance. “ _Jongin_ , what’s wrong?” He shook Jongin lightly to get his attention, and could only breathe easier when Jongin seemed to snap out of his daze. But this time, the light dancing in Jongin’s eyes scared Yixing. It spoke volumes of Jongin’s murderous intent, something that hasn’t been there since the day they had went up against Number Seven and Number Eight.   
  
  
“Chronos.” Jongin muttered under his breath, loud enough for only Yixing to hear. Jongin's sharp eyes were still following Number Six through the crowd, never leaving her until he could be remotely assured she wasn't actively searching for him. Victoria proved herself to be unpredictable, even if Jongin had known her for years.   
  
  
"Chronos?" Yixing echoed softly, but the worry was clearly reflected in the way his muscles tensed up. It was a word they had both omitted from their vocabulary – Jongin, because he didn’t want to be reminded of his past; Yixing, because he didn’t like seeing Jongin upset – for the past few months, and saying it now left a bitter aftertaste on both their tongues. “Are they here for you?” There was an undertone of urgency in Yixing’s words.   
  
  
Jongin finally looked at Yixing then, after Victoria had disappeared into the crowd. His lips were pressed into a thin line, his forehead creased with worry. “I don’t think so. I hope not.” Then Jongin remembered they were in the midst of something before Victoria’s untimely disruption. “Where’s the target?”   
  
  
Yixing shook his head. “Gone.” He said. “I couldn’t possibly leave you alone when you’re so shaken.”   
  
  
“I’m not sha–” Jongin began hotly, but there was a sharp intake of breath when he felt a distinct pressure on the small of his back. He looked up, and saw the uncharacteristic paleness of his own face reflected in Yixing’s wide, questioning eyes. Behind Jongin, was Victoria.   
  
  
The smile she was wearing appeared amiable; the dangerous gleam in her eyes was anything but. Jongin hissed when the butt of her whip dug deeper into his flesh, but he shot a warning look at Yixing when he saw the latter’s hand inch closer to his gun.  _Stay out of this_ , he mouthed at Yixing, whom responded with a deep-set frown of his own, but made no further movements.   
  
  
At this point of time, Jongin couldn’t care less whether he would be able to get out of this encounter alive. All he hoped was for Yixing to stay safe. This was his fight, and he hated to drag Yixing into a world he was never supposed to learn of – the tainted, callous, merciless side of Chronos. Of him.   
  
  
Jongin also came to a frightening realisation that he didn’t want to lose Yixing, even if it meant getting himself killed in the process.   
  
  
“I thought I recognised you from somewhere.” Victoria leaned in and whispered into Jongin’s ear, breath warm against his clammy skin. Jongin shuddered involuntarily. “Haven’t seen you in a while, Thirteen.”   
  
  
“Hello to you too, Six. Fancy meeting you here.” Jongin steeled his nerves and responded calmly. It was the sort of calm that carried a dangerous edge with it, one that defined his existence as a Chronos Time Guardian. If Jongin had to be honest with himself, he knew this part of him would never be erased, no matter how hard he tried to dissociate himself from it. The tattoo over his clavicle and the gun he wielded shackled him to the identity of the Shadow Walker, even if he no longer donned the customary black that was required of a Time Guardian or worked for them.   
  
  
“Beijing’s my turf. I’m sure you remember.” Victoria reminded him. “The Elders are  _very_  displeased with you, by the way.”   
  
  
Jongin laughed mockingly at the statement. “It’s hardly any of my business, Six.”   
  
  
Victoria drove the butt of her whip even deeper into Jongin’s back; it was apparent she knew of the condition of his waist, from an injury all those years before that never really healed. Jongin winced when he felt the numbness all the way down to his leg. “Are you sure you should be saying such things, Thirteen? Have you forgotten about the kindness the Elders have shown you all these years?” She whispered again. The frigidness in her intonation betrayed her beauty.   
  
  
“Kindness  _my ass_.” Jongin spat. “They are the very reason why I left Chronos.”   
  
  
“Abandoned.” Victoria corrected him acidly. “You  _abandoned_  Chronos, despite your oath.”   
  
  
Jongin suddenly felt sorry for her. Victoria had been found on the streets as a child, almost on the brink of death, and was trained and raised by Chronos. He did not question why she was so fiercely loyal to Chronos; rather, he pitied her for being hoodwinked by their lies, just as he had in the past. The Elders probably wouldn’t have any qualms in cutting her loose if they had to.   
  
  
“I walked out of Chronos because I saw through their lies, Six–” Jongin paused and sucked in a deep breath, but not after exchanging a look with Yixing. “–though I don’t expect you to understand.” He said, and, with the speed he was known for, he pulled Hades out of its holster while turning around, firing a shot at Victoria without missing a beat.   
  
  
He cursed when Victoria deftly jumped out of harm’s way, sending the bullet plunging into a lamppost nearby. Jongin looked around and thought it was too dangerous for them to carry on with their fight in the middle of the marketplace. The crowd had been alerted by the sound of the gunshot which reverberated through the square, and people were currently cast into a state of panic. Everyone around them was scrambling to take cover.   
  
  
Sending a challenging look at Victoria, Jongin smirked and pointed towards the skies with his gun. “Wanna play a game of tag on the rooftops?” He didn’t even bother to wait for a reply, and heaved himself up onto a ladder bolted to the side of a building at once. Yixing rapidly followed suit.   
  
  
“What do you have in mind, Jongin?” Yixing asked hastily before Victoria caught up to them. Jongin broke into a run the moment he set foot on the rooftop, and Yixing was having a hard time matching his pace. Jongin had always been the better runner between the two, courtesy of all the stamina training he’d received when he was younger.   
  
  
“I need to get her as far away from the crowd as possible. I don’t want to get civilians involved.” Jongin yelled back, all while keeping his eyes on the path ahead of them. There was a spark of surprise within him at his own words; Jongin never used to care about the safety of others, as long as he could get the job done. Evidently, much has changed since then.   
  
  
“I’ll help distract her–”  
  
  
Jongin turned around to snap at Yixing. “This is none of your business, Yixing! Stay out of it!” He growled, but immediately felt guilty when he saw the hurt flashing across Yixing’s features. Irritable and fretful as he was, it didn’t give him the right to be unfair to Yixing, especially when he had been nothing but kind to Jongin in the past few months.   
  
  
Jongin sighed and flashed an apologetic look at Yixing. “Just– I don’t want to get you involved in this, Yixing. This is my fight. This is my past. I’m going to have to deal with it myself.”   
  
  
“No.” Yixing said firmly, the way Jongin knew he would but had hoped he wouldn’t. “I’m not going to leave you here alone. And you’re not going to talk me out of this, you hear me?”   
  
  
Jongin smiled in spite of the situation they were in. “I guess I should’ve anticipated that.” He replied and raised his gun, aiming past Yixing. “I hope you’re prepared.”   
  
  
Yixing turned around to the sight of Victoria, who had her whip in hand and a dangerous smile on her face. He held up his gun too, but slowly Yixing inched backwards to fall in line with Jongin. He didn’t have to be told to know that he should stay well out of her weapon’s range.   
  
  
“I’m sorry to interrupt your romantic little moment–” she began, cracking her whip against the cement beneath them. The slab shattered where its tip met the solid surface, kicking up a cloud of dust which promptly dissipated. “–but I believe we have some unfinished business.”   
  
  
“You don’t think we could come to a verbal agreement, do you?” Jongin smiled as he cocked the hammer of Hades. “Pretend we’ve never met, and we can merrily be on our way. What do you say?”   
  
  
Victoria pretended to consider Jongin’s proposition for a short moment, before her whip flew towards him and wrapped itself tightly around Hades’ body, rendering Jongin immobile unless he relinquished his hold upon it. It wasn’t an option for Jongin. “Unfortunately for you, I’ve been craving for a good fight for a long while now.” She smiled saccharinely.   
  
  
Jongin replied with a smile of the same magnitude. “Guessed as much,” he mused, shrugging. He tugged firmly on his gun, jerking it towards him – and by extension, pulling Victoria forward with an element of surprise, and the fight was on. Jongin kicked hard against the ground, launching himself into the air and sailing right above Victoria with his gun still attached to her whip when she swept a leg beneath him and attempted to bring him down. He aimed a punch at the top of her head, of which she avoided by bending backwards with the grace and fluidity of a trained dancer. Jongin fired a shot at her too, but Victoria angled her whip just enough to deflect the bullet away. Sparks flew when the tip of the bullet met with her whip.   
  
  
They were smirking when they faced each other again, their positions now switched. Yixing, Jongin noticed in relief, was standing by the side out of their way. He probably realised that it wasn’t his place to interfere, that this fight was personal, but still lingered around in case Jongin needed him. Jongin kept his relief under a tight lid – Victoria would definitely aim for Yixing if she ever knew of the extent of Jongin’s feelings for the Sweeper.   
  
  
That was one thing he could not risk.   
  
  
“Haven’t lost your edge at all, I see.” Victoria called out. Even though she didn’t appear to have moved a muscle, Jongin could feel the tension she was applying to her whip, from the way he had to put more pressure on his gun as counter-traction.   
  
  
“I haven’t been lazing around, Six.” Jongin said in a casual tone despite the hostility hanging in the air. He could feel Yixing’s worried gaze burning into him, but Jongin ignored it the best he could. He could not afford to be distracted right now, not when he was up against a fellow Time Guardian. “Do you really not have anything else to do? It’s not like you to take a casual stroll around town if you’re not on your way to kill someone.”   
  
  
“You speak as though I’m cold-blooded.” Victoria narrowed her eyes at him. “The Elders have placed your capture above all our missions, so no, you’re stuck with me until you drop dead.”   
  
  
“Pity.” Jongin clicked his tongue. “I was planning on asking you out for coffee.”   
  
  
The smile found its way back to Victoria’s rouge-painted lips then – feral, unkind, and  _calculative_. “Are you sure your little friend here isn’t going to get jealous?” She asked, but before her words could even trigger the panic alarm in Jongin’s mind, she had already made her move.   
  
  
Jongin’s eyes widened in pure horror at the sight of a silk ribbon – distinctively Orihalcum, for it shined the way her whip did beneath the sunlight – sailing at top speed from beneath Victoria’s sleeves towards Yixing. Yixing remained rooted on the spot, stunned by the suddenness of it all. Jongin’s blood went cold, and the tips of his fingers were numb, but he managed to find it in himself to react just in time and pulled his gun towards him, sending Victoria off balance and altering the path of her concealed weapon.   
  
  
It did not, however, miss its original target completely, and pierced Yixing through his left shoulder. Jongin’s heart fell to the pit of his stomach when Yixing dropped to his knees; from shock or from pain, Jongin didn’t know. Yixing’s gaze was still transfixed on his wound, seemingly confused as to how he’d gotten it in the first place.   
  
  
Then Jongin saw red when he caught sight a flurry of movement from the corner of his eyes, of Victoria trying to help herself off the ground. He let out an anguished howl, and immediately aimed Hades at Victoria's head. She paused mid-movement, muscles frozen in place, eyes watching him carefully. Jongin noticed with dark relish that she had a fearful look on her usually confident face, probably sensing her imminent death.   
  
  
But Yixing's words echoed in Jongin’s mind just as he was about to pull the trigger –  _Why not incapacitate someone for good, and hope that they will turn over a new leaf and step out of this cycle?_ – and Jongin lowered his gun slightly.   
  
  
Victoria let out an amused laugh at his actions, though she remained seated on the floor, whip by her side. “I take back my words, about you not losing your edge,” she said, sneering. “You’ve definitely gotten softer.”   
  
  
Jongin’s – Kai’s – sharp brown eyes cut up to glare at her, the hatred still burning deep in them. “You’re wrong,” he said, voice quiet. “I’m just not as inhumane as Chronos made us out to be.”   
  
  
Victoria let out a blood-curdling scream when Jongin shot her in the knee, though she immediately bit down on her lip to silence herself; Time Guardians were not supposed to show any indication of being in pain, no matter how excruciating it was. Their pride wouldn’t allow it; pride that Jongin had long since stripped himself of. Jongin squeezed his eyes shut as he put another bullet through her dominant hand, knowing it would’ve severed her tendons, before he walked in faux calmness towards the still-bleeding Yixing.   
  
  
He desperately held on to Yixing’s words, hoping that by putting her dominant hand and one of her legs out of action, Victoria would cease to become a Time Guardian. At the very least, he knew Victoria wouldn’t be seen dancing ever again.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
Jongin held Yixing’s hand tightly in his, pressing lips against skin as he watched Yixing sleep. He was completely exhausted and on the brink of falling asleep himself, but he could not rest easy until he was sure Yixing was alright.   
  
  
After he had shot Victoria earlier, it took all but five seconds before his calmness shattered, and Jongin found himself rushing forward to scoop Yixing into his arms, shaking Yixing to get him out of his daze. It was a good thing that Victoria’s ribbon didn’t get him right through the heart, although he suspected Victoria had aimed to kill Yixing before he had intervened. Still, Yixing had lost a substantial amount of blood from the injury, his complexion several shades paler than Jongin thought possible by the time they had arrived at the hospital.   
  
  
Yixing had been asleep since, from a combination of the drugs to keep him sedated while the doctors patched him up, and the exhaustion that claimed him after. That was more than half a day ago. If it were not for the whitewashed surroundings and telltale bandage over his shoulder, lightly stained with blood, Yixing would’ve appeared as though he was just sleeping instead of recuperating from an injury. Worry lines were practically nonexistent on Yixing’s face.   
  
  
Then again, Yixing had always been the more carefree one between the both of them. Jongin remembered being surprised when he found out Yixing was older than him by a little more than two years, and Yixing had attempted to bully Jongin into calling him _‘ge’_  then –  _it’s the equivalent of ‘hyung’ in Mandarin_ , Yixing had told him – pulling ranks by merit of age. Jongin never did give in.   
  
  
Right now, seeing how close he had been to losing Yixing, Jongin suddenly wished he could turn back time and do things all over again – being less rebellious this time.   
  
  
Jongin swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut at the thought. “Yixing  _ge_ ,” he choked, “I’m so,  _so_  sorry for getting you involved in this mess.”   
  
  
He sat bolt upright, surprised, when the hand he was holding pulled itself out of his grip and flicked him right in the forehead. Jongin blinked a little, before he realised that Yixing’s bright eyes were staring back at him, a small, tired smile playing on his lips. He then frowned, rubbing at the tingling area on his forehead with the ball of his palm. “Hey, what was that for?” Jongin complained.   
  
  
“You’ve been thinking depressing thoughts, haven’t you?” Yixing asked. Jongin’s heart ached at how weak Yixing sounded, the usual cheerfulness in his voice gone without a trace, replaced by the exhaustion which seemed to drag on.   
  
  
“No–” Jongin started to deny, but sighed when Yixing narrowed his eyes at him, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Yes,  _fine_ , I was. What do you expect me to do when you’re lying here covered in bandages and–”  
  
  
“Jongin, shut up.” Yixing said, but there was no real bite in his words. He merely wanted to stop Jongin from rambling on, a habit Jongin had when he was nervous but didn’t seem to have noticed. Yixing sighed when he saw the small pout Jongin was wearing, and he turned gingerly in his position to lie on his uninjured side, so that he could have a better view of Jongin. “It’s nothing serious, Jongin. There’s no need to worry.”   
  
  
Jongin lowered his head to hide his face from view. His voice was in a low mumble as he said, “Do you even have any idea how close you were to dying? Victoria was aiming for your  _heart_.”   
  
  
“Hey. Look at me.” Yixing said firmly, bringing Jongin’s attention back to him. “I’m fine now, okay? Stop killing yourself over this. It was my decision to stay so stop–”  
  
  
“–but you could’ve avoided this injury in the first place, if only I had forced you to leave.” Jongin interrupted Yixing. There were tears in his eyes now, and it surprised them both. Jongin had never cried in front of anyone else before – not when his parents were killed in front of him, and certainly not when he was on the brink of giving up on his cutthroat training. He couldn’t believe his defences crumbled in front of Yixing.   
  
  
“It was my decision to stay.” Yixing repeated, squeezing Jongin’s hand reassuringly. His thumb ran over Jongin’s knuckles in slow, soothing movements, hoping it would calm Jongin down and let it sink in that  _Yixing’s okay_. “Jongin, you don’t have to blame yourself for anything. I’m still here, and I’m perfectly fine. Stop.”   
  
  
“But–” Jongin started again, though he was silenced when Yixing tugged him forward, and melded their lips together. Jongin was stunned for one long moment, before the reality that  _he’s kissing Yixing_  sank in, and slowly he eased into it, thinking that there was nothing more he could wish for.   
  
  
As long as he had Yixing with him, Jongin would be perfectly contented with everything else.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
Whatever plans God had in store for him – not that Jongin was a pious believer; not really – Jongin was convicted that He was trying to make his life extremely miserable as repayment for all the people he’d killed over the years.   
  
  
His past continued to haunt him after the incident with Victoria, with Erasers suddenly popping up everywhere around him. It almost seemed as though the few months of peace he had with Yixing was merely a prelude to the inevitable clashes, the calm before the storm. It was a good thing he had managed to stay out of the Erasers’ paths most of the time, and didn’t quite have the need to kill them off.   
  
  
Yixing didn’t have to know about the several instances Jongin had had to silence them permanently.   
  
  
But, if Jongin had to be completely honest with himself, he would definitely take any amount of Erasers, and even Time Guardians, over the man currently seated across him at the café. Heck, he would even willingly go up against Leeteuk and Yesung.   
  
  
He never should have returned to Seoul.   
  
  
His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he glared daggers at the man, impatiently waiting for him to actually speak. But the bearded man certainly knew how to grate on Jongin’s nerves, taking his own sweet time sipping at his cup of espresso as he flipped through the morning paper, as though Jongin was nonexistent.   
  
  
In the end, Jongin lost his patience and slammed his hand against the table, rattling the teacups set upon it. Around them, the customers sat up in alarm, wondering what was going on at their table. Jongin paid no mind to them.   
  
  
“Do you actually intend to talk? Because if you aren’t, I’m going to leave.” Jongin practically snarled at the middle-aged man. He would’ve brandished Hades to scare the man a little, if he didn’t already know such tricks didn’t work.   
  
  
Much to his annoyance, the man chuckled, though he did finally set the newspaper aside and looked at Jongin. “I taught you to be more patient than this, Jongin. Hastiness–”  
  
  
“–spoils the kill.” Jongin completed for him, irritated. “I know that already, old man, so spill. What do you want with me?”   
  
  
The man clicked his tongue disapprovingly. Jongin found himself howling out in pain seconds later, clutching his foot where the man had just stomped on.   
  
  
“What the fu–”   
  
  
“Language.” The man’s tone was calm, but the way his eyes flashed up to glare at Jongin had the boy shutting up effectively. “And it’s  _master_  for you, Jongin, not  _old man_. Seriously, did all those years in Chronos knock out all the manners I’ve inculcated in you?”   
  
  
Jongin stared incredulously at his master, wondering whether he was seriously lecturing him about manners, out of all things. In the end, Jongin gave up trying to make sense of things, and sighed noisily instead. “Master, I really don’t have all day.” He said, exhausted.   
  
  
It wasn’t a lie. He was in the midst of tracking a target with Yixing when his master practically yanked him off the streets by the scruff of his shirt out of the fucking blue and dragged him to the café.   
  
  
He really hadn’t banked on seeing his master again; his master didn’t take his initiation into Chronos too lightly, and disappeared on him years ago – not that Jongin minded it at all. His master was a fucking sadist, and Jongin was more than glad to be rid of him.   
  
  
“Is it a crime for a master to want to talk to his student?” He raised an eyebrow at Jongin.   
  
  
“Master, you never want to  _just talk_.” Jongin pointed out with a frown. His master heaved a sigh of defeat, and Jongin stiffened when his gaze panned towards Yixing, who was seated a distance away from them and was playing with a kid who had walked up to him. Jongin smiled briefly at the scene before he caught himself and schooled his expressions.   
  
  
“That boy over there. You care a great deal for him, don’t you?”   
  
  
He nearly choked. Jongin’s hands clenched into fists beneath the table, but his face remained impassive. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Master.”   
  
  
“Suit yourself.” His master shrugged as he got out of his seat, no longer pushing the subject. “Remember this; loving another person will merely bring more pain to yourself. Be careful.” He did however say, making Jongin swallow convulsively and avert his gaze, afraid that his master would see through his lies.   
  
  
Jongin scowled when his master ruffled his hair – almost affectionately – before he went on his way. It made him feel like a child, but the resentment was gone when Yixing came over and took the seat his master had just vacated.   
  
  
“Who  _was that_?” Yixing raised an eyebrow at him, concern thick in his words. Jongin could only rub the bridge of his nose in exhaustion as he thought about how he should arrange his words.   
  
  
“That, is the man who killed my parents.” Jongin finally said, causing Yixing to sit up in alarm.   
  
  
“ _What?!_ ” Yixing said sharply, and Jongin gestured at him to calm down.   
  
  
“I’m not done. He’s also the man who trained me.”   
  
  
Yixing’s stiff posturing relaxed at the information. “Oh. I’m actually surprised that you allowed him to walk away just like that. Are you stronger than he is?”   
  
  
“In combat? Yeah.” Jongin answered distractedly. His mind was still toying around with his master’s last words for him before he’d left.  _Loving another person will merely bring more pain to yourself._  Jongin looked up and met Yixing’s gaze then. There was a fleeting thought, one that said Jongin would willingly shoulder all the pain in exchange for one extra moment with Yixing. Yixing was worth it.   
  
  
As though he was able to read Jongin’s thoughts, Yixing reached across the table and held Jongin’s hand in his. “But you didn’t kill him, just as you did not kill me.” Yixing said, and Jongin shook his head numbly. He couldn’t find it in him to refute the statement, though it was more of the fact that he  _couldn’t_  kill his master. Jongin had felt extremely indebted to his master by the end of his training, although he’d rather die before he would admit it to anyone at all – even to himself.   
  
  
“You’re really a nice person after all.” Yixing finally concluded, and laughed when Jongin made incoherent gurgling noises, a mixture of embarrassment and indignation. He wouldn’t let Jongin live it down after.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
"Thanks for the money!" Jongin called over his shoulder at the treasurer of the Sweepers' Alliance with a wide grin, tossing the bag of money into the air before catching it in his hand as he walked out of the building. There was an odd sense of emptiness, being there without Yixing for the first time since he became a Sweeper, but Jongin tried not to let it get to him. He was still giddy from the adrenaline, happy that he didn’t even have the slightest temptation to kill off his target.   
  
  
Jongin smiled to himself as he thought about how proud Yixing would be of him when he got home. Yixing was recovering from a nasty case of the flu, and Jongin had banned Yixing from even stepping out of his bed when Yixing wanted to follow him on this mission. As it was, Yixing couldn’t even walk to the bathroom without feeling dizzy.   
  
  
A thought crossed Jongin’s mind then, thinking Yixing would welcome a hot bowl of porridge from his favourite store, and turned around the corner instead of heading straight for home, but he stopped dead in his tracks the moment he raised his head and looked into a familiar pair of eyes. Hades was in his outstretched hand in a flash.   
  
  
“Master Kai, a little jumpy there aren’t we?” The person smirked at him, unfazed by the fact that there was a gun aimed at him. The townsfolk around them, however, cowered away from them, giving the pair a wide berth.   
  
  
“X-Mas.” Jongin acknowledged him, his eyes narrowing threateningly. He couldn’t help noticing how different X-Mas looked with his hair slicked up, all dressed up in a suit, rather than the customary uniform all Erasers had to put on. “What are you doing here in Changsha?”   
  
  
“I’m here for you.” X-Mas stated simply, shrugging. Jongin also noted how the air surrounding X-Mas had changed – more confident, more commandeering.  _Deadlier_. Jongin cocked the hammer.   
  
  
“Under Chronos’ orders?” Jongin’s voice steeled, dredging up his long-forgotten Kai persona from the back of his mind. He had a feeling some callousness was due. _Jongin_  wouldn’t cut it.   
  
  
To his surprise, X-Mas shook his head. “I left Chronos after you did, and I searched for you  _everywhere_.” He said. His gaze on Kai was firm. Kai fought off the eerie shudder he’d felt. “But now that I’ve found you, I’m disappointed, Master Kai. So very disappointed.”   
  
  
Kai frowned slightly. “What are you talking about.”   
  
  
“Look at you.” X-Mas half-growled, and began approaching Kai slowly. There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in Kai when he opened fire, aiming dangerously close to X-Mas’ foot to warn him off. It did stop X-Mas in his tracks, but there was a satisfied smirk on the man’s face rather than fear. “You’re so different now. Where has the merciless Kai gone?”   
  
  
“I’m right here.” Kai snapped.   
  
  
“No.” X-Mas insisted, and Kai noticed the crazed light in his eyes for the first time since their conversation had started. “No. You’re not the Kai I worshipped. The old Kai would’ve killed me without second thoughts. The old Kai wouldn’t have allowed Number Six to survive.”   
  
  
Kai’s pupils dilated marginally at the mention of Victoria’s codename. So she  _did_  return to Chronos after all.   
  
  
“ _He_  did this to you, didn’t he?” X-Mas said again when Kai remained silent. “That wretched Sweeper did this to you. He took you away from Chronos. Took you away from me. Took you away from  _yourself_. You could’ve been the most powerful person in Chronos. You  _should’ve_  been at the helm of Chronos. But he  _destroyed_  you.”   
  
  
If Kai had been struck with confusion initially, fear quickly took over his senses at the mention of a Sweeper. He knew at once that X-Mas was talking about Yixing, although Kai had no idea how X-Mas had found out about him. Kai had never been one to be afraid of X-Mas, but now he was – he was terrified of what X-Mas would do to Yixing, if the demented light in his eyes was of any indication of his unstable mental state.   
  
  
"Stay away from him, X-Mas, or I swear to God I  _will_  kill you." He snarled. Kai hated how his hand was trembling, in a mixture of fury and fear, and he willed it to still.   
  
  
X-Mas grinned maniacally. “I might consider your request, Kai, if you join me at the Apostles of the Stars. Onew and Key are with us too.” He held his hand out in invitation. “Together, we can destroy Chronos. We can rule the world.”   
  
  
The look of surprise on X-Mas’ face when Kai shot at the accessory on his wrist seconds later showed that he hadn’t expected Kai to reject him in such a manner. Kai spat in disgust. “I belong to no one but myself, X-Mas.”   
  
  
X-Mas’ expressions fell at once. “So be it. You will come to regret this, Kai,” he said, but before Kai could take him down with another bullet, X-Mas had already dashed away, disappearing out of Kai’s sight. Kai was momentarily stunned, because he had no idea X-Mas could move this fast, but the next thought that entered his mind had the blood draining from his face.   
  
  
_Yixing_ , his mind screamed, and Kai did not waste another second in running for home.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
Kai slowly inched towards the apartment unit he shared with Yixing, Hades firmly in his grip, and listened intently for any ruckus coming from within. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest, the blood pounding in his ears. Kai licked at his chapped lips, trying to banish the nervousness which was grappling his entire being. He hated feeling like this, so helpless and so uncertain.   
  
  
Nothing has ever made him feel this way, not since the night he had seen his master kill his parents. But Yixing was different. Yixing was his entire world now. Kai  _loved_  Yixing, and he didn’t know what he would do if Yixing got hurt because of him. He knew Yixing was fully capable of defending himself, but in his current weakened state–  
  
  
Kai stopped himself from thinking any further.   
  
  
He paused at the door and pressed his ear against it. The silence that greeted him was deafening – not even a cough or a sniffle was heard. Kai desperately hoped that it was because Yixing was sound asleep, and not because of something else more sinister.   
  
  
Silently, he turned the knob and let himself into the house, closing the door behind him just as soundlessly. As Kai padded across the carpeted floor and deeper into the apartment, the nervousness slowly ebbed away. The house was exactly how he had left it earlier, clean and organised, though Kai still felt uneasy.   
  
  
_Gut feelings are meant to be trusted_ , Yixing had told him once, but Kai hoped for once that Yixing was wrong. His gut feelings were pushing him to continue his search through the house, telling him that something wasn’t right. Kai’s legs were acting on their own, following his heart’s orders even though all he wanted to do was to stop.   
  
  
He went weak in the knees the moment he opened the door to the bedroom and found it empty. Fresh blood streaked across the floor, staining the carpet, and the curtains were floating in the warm afternoon breeze. Shards of broken glass were strewn across the room, with more blood staining the edges of the fragments still attached to the window sill.   
  
  
X-Mas had gotten to Yixing, Kai realised with pure horror. The hollowness in the pit of his stomach made him want to throw up. Was he too late?   
  
  
Kai’s head snapped up when he heard a gunshot coming from the distance. It was close to the apartment, he was sure, and immediately he threw himself out of the window, dashing towards the source of the sound.   
  
  
Another shot followed several seconds later, causing Kai to pick up speed. It eventually led Kai to the back alley between two rows of shop lots. The sight of a lone person lying in the middle of the alley had Kai slowing down, the dread in him building up with each passing second, with each step taken. He could recognise those clothes on the person from anywhere; they were Yixing’s favourite bedclothes, ones that Kai had helped picked out.   
  
  
Hades fell to the pebbled floor with a resounding clang, having slipped from Kai’s grip when he lurched forward to scoop Yixing off the ground and into his arms. Kai desperately applied pressure to the spreading blossom of scarlet over Yixing’s chest to stop the bleeding, even though somewhere deep down, he knew his actions were futile. But still he tried, and the tears of frustration began falling in huge droplets when the blood continued to seep through Yixing’s clothes.   
  
  
His master’s words assaulted his consciousness then.  _Loving another person will merely bring more pain to yourself._  He wondered if his master had seen this coming all along.   
  
  
“Yixing,  _Yixing_ , wake up. You can’t fall asleep here.” Jongin shook Yixing gently, afraid that he would cause more pain to Yixing, until the man’s eyes fluttered open. Jongin let out a shuddering breath.   
  
  
The smile Yixing offered him shattered his heart completely. “Hey.” Yixing greeted weakly. “You’re here.”   
  
  
“Yes, yes I’m here. I’m sorry I was late.  _I’m sorry_.”   
  
  
“Why are you apologising, Jongin?” Yixing reached up to cup Jongin’s face tenderly and laughed, but it only served to make him cough up blood.   
  
  
Jongin pulled Yixing closer to him and hugged him tight. “This is my fault. This is all my fault. If only I had killed that bastard– If only you hadn’t  _met me_ , you wouldn’t–”   
  
  
“ _Jongin_ ,” Yixing snapped harshly, but gasped for breath immediately after. Even talking was considered an exertion to him now. “Don’t you dare wish that we’d never met. Don’t–” Another wheeze, another violent coughing spell, more blood. Jongin’s heart clenched painfully again. “–you even  _dare think_  about it. These few months were the happiest months of my life.”   
  
  
“And we’ll have more of them, Yixing  _ge_.” Jongin was sobbing uncontrollably by now. “Stay with me. Don’t go. You  _can’t go_.”   
  
  
“I’m not going anywhere, Jongin. I’ll always be here.” Yixing said, and Jongin looked down when he felt a light pressure on his chest, over the area where his heart was beating. Yixing’s hand left a bloody print there. Jongin squeezed his eyes shut, hoping desperately that this was all a part of a nightmare – a horrible nightmare that he would wake up from, and everything would be as it were before. With Yixing smiling brightly, not sickly and on the brink of death.   
  
  
Jongin’s eyes flew wide open when Yixing coughed again, and he noticed with sickening horror that he was expelling more blood now. The bullet had punctured his lung. He wanted to avert his gaze, but couldn’t. “Yixing, I’ll bring you to the hospital. You’ll be alright. You’ll recover and–”   
  
  
Yixing cut him off by pressing a finger against his lips, and shook his head when Jongin’s attention fell on him again. “I just want to be with you, Jongin.” He rasped, still smiling. Jongin half-wished he would stop, wondering if Yixing knew that it only served to tear him up further within. Jongin said nothing about it, and endured it in silence. “I love you.”   
  
  
“I love you too.” Jongin sobbed, cradling his lover in his arms. He didn’t want to let go. Not now, not ever. “I love you I love you I love you.”   
  
  
“Promise me you’ll not look for revenge, Jongin.” Yixing finally said, and Jongin bit down hard on his lip.   
  
  
“I–” he hesitated for a second, then looked down with a nod. “Promise.” Jongin lied through his teeth. He wanted to see Yixing pass with a smile, and would do anything to make it happen.   
  
  
“That’s better–” Yixing rasped again, his voice growing weaker by the syllable. Even his grip on Jongin’s arm was going lax, and Jongin knew then, from the way Yixing’s breaths came out in short stutters and gasps, that the end of his life was near. There was another hushed  _I love you, Jongin_ , before Yixing went completely limp in Jongin’s arms.   
  
  
At that particular moment, Jongin felt as though someone had reached into his chest and forcefully ripped his heart out. It  _fucking hurt_.   
  
  
Jongin pressed his forehead against Yixing’s cold one, and cried in anguish until he could cry no more. By the time night loomed, Jongin gingerly heaved himself off the ground with Yixing still cradled in his arms, and made his way out of the alley, walking through the streets with the eyes of the passersby trained upon him. He ignored the whispers that followed, too numbed to care.   
  
  
But if anyone had taken a glimpse into Jongin’s eyes then, they would all agree on one thing.   
  
  
The look in his eyes said that Kai was going to  _murder_  X-Mas and shred him into pieces.   
  
  
  
\--  
  
  
  
It was another month after Yixing’s death before Kai managed to track X-Mas down, along with the group called the Apostles of the Stars. There was a bounty on X-Mas’ head now, after he’d catapulted his name into infamy for being a massive threat to the delicate balance of the major powers of the world, but none of that mattered to Kai.   
  
  
Money meant nothing to him now, only revenge. Kai vowed to have X-Mas suffer a hundred fold of what Yixing had suffered before he had breathed his last. He knew it was against what he’d promised Yixing, but the hatred for X-Mas consumed him the moment Yixing had stopped breathing. Kai was willing to suffer Yixing’s nagging in the afterlife – assuming if they ever met again – but right now, he was going to do things his way.   
  
  
X-Mas was waiting for him when he had arrived at the Apostles’ base, with the same maniacal smile he'd flashed at Kai on the day he killed Yixing, thinking that Kai had finally come to his senses after Yixing's death, that he had purged the weakness out of Kai's being, and Kai was going to join him as an Apostle. Kai was revolted by the thought alone.   
  
  
"I like that look in your eyes, Kai. That's the look that attracted me to you." X-Mas announced with open arms, welcoming Kai into his fold. Kai remained unmoving. He held Hades by his side, index finger on the trigger, thumb on the hammer. The Chinese knot which had belonged on Yixing’s gun in the past was attached to its end. It was his way of keeping a memoir of Yixing with him.   
  
  
"I'm not here to join you." Kai said coldly.   
  
  
X-Mas ignored his words and rambled on in a different direction. "Did you know that I was the one who chose you, Kai? I was the one who chose to be your Eraser when no one else would."   
  
  
"My, should I be flattered?" Kai asked dryly.   
  
  
" _Yes_ , in fact you should." X-Mas smirked. "I have never looked up to anyone – until you came along. It's an honour bestowed upon you."   
  
  
Kai held back a disbelieving scoff. X-Mas really had some loose screws in his head, but he didn't think X-Mas would take his blatant 'disrespect' very well. "I'd rather live without it." Kai stated calmly instead, still holding X-Mas' sharp gaze down.   
  
  
"It doesn't matter. I am happy enough to see that you are back to who you were. My efforts of killing that Sweeper hasn't gone to waste after all." X-Mas said, and it struck a raw nerve in Kai. His grip on Hades tightened to the point that his knuckles turned white.   
  
  
How  _dare_  X-Mas mention Yixing in front of him.   
  
  
"Killing so wantonly–" Kai's voice was quiet now, but the anger simmered beneath the surface. "–is that what you live for?"   
  
  
X-Mas sent a lazy glance at him. "I am immortal. I am God.” He announced. “Weaklings should be purged from this world, should all be killed!"   
  
  
Kai lowered his head at the declaration, and smirked. "That's enough of an answer for me." He said to no one in particular, and pulled the trigger in lightning speed. The bullet hit X-Mas square in the abdomen – a warning shot that he wasn't going to hold back – in lieu of Kai's reputation of being a sharpshooter. He imagined the bullet to have lodged right above X-Mas' kidney.   
  
  
But X-Mas didn't even flinch. Kai's eyes widened in surprise when the hole in his abdomen began to close up. The bullet was expelled from his body and fell to the floor with a soft clatter.   
  
  
What in actual fuck?   
  
  
He must have said it aloud, because X-Mas threw his head back in a barking laugh. "A very convenient ability, don't you think?" He picked disinterestedly at his blood-stained shirt. "Nanomachines. They're such wonderful creations."   
  
  
Then it all made sense to Kai, and he was dawned with horror. X-Mas had suffused himself with nanomachines, which had granted him a superior healing ability. But Kai also knew that every creation has its flaws. Kai just had to find out what it was. Now he was beginning to regret that he hadn't bothered with getting to know what Kyungsoo was capable of doing. Shit.   
  
  
"Let's play a little game, Kai. First one who falls to their knees will be the slave of the one who remains standing."   
  
  
Kai suppressed his nervousness and schooled his expressions into a challenging smirk. "That's hardly fair for me, X-Mas."   
  
  
"Oh, you're a smart one. I'm sure you'll find a way." X-Mas replied. Kai immediately jumped out of the way when X-Mas' arm turned into a long whip, not unlike Victoria's, and sailed in his direction. His whip was definitely more destructive than Victoria's, creating a deep hole in the ground where Kai had been standing upon just seconds ago.   
  
  
Kai let out a low, mocking whistle. "Not bad. You definitely pack a meaner punch than you ever had when you were a mere Eraser." He commented as he released several successive shots at X-Mas, creating a mixture of shots that defined both him and Yixing. The way X-Mas' expression darkened gave him joy.   
  
  
"You’ve never looked at me, Kai." That much was true. Kai never really cared about anyone else in the past, not until Yixing came into his life. "No matter how hard I tried, you never even realised my existence."   
  
  
Kai scoffed. "And you wonder why." He deadpanned, cursing inwardly when the bullets hit home but were expelled just as quickly.   
  
  
"What does that Sweeper have that I don't?!"   
  
  
Kai closed his eyes at the question, and felt the warmth surrounding his heart, from the memories of Yixing's encouraging smiles and caring words. They remained crystal clear in his mind even now, and Kai drew strength from these memories of Yixing. "Killing Yixing is proof that you will never understand."   
  
  
At this point, Kai focused all of his attention on Hades, remembering about the exact hidden mechanics within, told to him by its maker when Kai had first received it. He had never found the need to utilise it because it was simply too powerful, but now there was a reason to unveil it to the world. What better way than to annihilate X-Mas with it?   
  
  
Pulling a secret trigger by the side, Kai waited for his gun to charge up, then released a shot of two high-speed, electromagnetically-charged bullets at X-Mas. He was gratified by the look of horror on X-Mas' face, one that showed he knew his end was near. X-Mas didn't even have the time to react, and he was thrown backwards by the impact of the bullets, sending him flying across the far side of the lawn.   
  
  
When Kai approached him slowly, still on high alert because he knew X-Mas was a sneaky bastard who was capable of pulling off the most surprising of actions, he smirked at the sight of torn flesh and blood. The impact of the twin bullets, as he had expected, was far too powerful, even for the nanomachines in X-Mas' body.   
  
  
He knelt down beside X-Mas, and tilted X-Mas' head upwards with the muzzle of his gun to look at him, applying enough pressure to make X-Mas splutter and realise he was under Kai's complete mercy. "The gravest mistake you could've made was to kill Yixing." He said, his voice betraying none of the pain he felt within. "Did you really think I would spare your life and join forces with you?"   
  
  
X-Mas laughed, his lips pulling back to reveal two rows of bloodied teeth. "I only wanted you to return to who you were. Merciless. Cruel. The  _you_  who wouldn't think twice before shooting someone through the skull or snapping their necks. You are precisely that right now. Your callousness is the most beautiful sight."   
  
  
Kai's eyes narrowed, and his heart thumped guiltily against his chest. He couldn't believe that in his pursuit for revenge, he'd lost his grip on the person Yixing had loved –  _Jongin_ , who wouldn't kill a single soul no matter what. And yet here he was, so close to ending X-Mas' because he was blinded with rage.   
  
  
"What's the matter, Kai? I know you want to do this. The light in your eyes tells me everything. Pull the trigger." X-Mas challenged. Kai wondered if he ever truly knew the meaning of fear. "Pull it, and you will have full reign over the Apostles. You can rule the world."   
  
  
They both turned to the side when someone walked up to them.   
  
  
"Leeteuk–" Kai started in surprise. He hadn't realised that the commander of Chronos was around. Then again, Leeteuk was better than Kai at concealing his presence.   
  
  
"You've done enough, Kai." Leeteuk said gently, but the tip of his rapier came to rest upon X-Mas' forehead when the bloodied man on the ground moved. "Chronos will take over from here."   
  
  
"But–" Kai began to protest, but snapped his mouth shut when Leeteuk flashed him a reassuring smile.   
  
  
"You've promised Yixing that you wouldn't kill anymore, haven't you?" Leeteuk commented. Kai didn't want to find out how he knew. Leeteuk had his sources. "Go, Jongin. This is more than enough. You should keep your promise to the deceased, or they might come and haunt you for the rest of your life."   
  
  
Despite himself, Kai let out a laugh, and straightened himself. Yesung took his place, his scythe dangling over X-Mas' throat. Kai didn't mind having Yixing haunting him at all, as long as he could see Yixing, but kept the thought to himself. "You haven't lost your motherly side, Jungsoo." He commented offhandedly, earning surprised looks from Leeteuk and Yesung. "What?"   
  
  
"Just–"  
  
  
"Didn't expect me to know of your birth name?" Kai grinned cheekily. "I know more than I let on."   
  
  
Leeteuk just shook his head in amusement, and shooed Kai away. "Go, Kai. We'll finish things here."   
  
  
Kai hesitated for another moment, before he relented. He wasn't in it for the money, and now that he had weakened X-Mas enough, he guessed his job was done. With one last cold look at the man lying on the ground, Kai walked away, blocking out the sounds of sharp blades slicing through bones which followed moments later.   
  
  
Jongin shoved Kai back into his subconscious, keeping him locked up there, thinking that there wasn't a need for Kai to make his presence known ever again. Jongin fingered the Chinese knot at the end of his gun, before twirling it in around his finger and slotting Hades back into his belt.   
  
  
He closed his eyes, and smiled to himself when the image of Yixing appeared in his mind. Yixing was proud of him for not killing off X-Mas, he was sure, and that was more than enough for Jongin to keep on living. 


End file.
